The vibrant community behind Opensource.com is hard at work on something new. Regular visitors to the publication may have noticed that things have been uncharacteristically quiet on the site lately. That temporary quiet is due to a brand-new project currently in the works behind the scenes. While specific details regarding the initiative are still being kept under wraps, there is already plenty to talk about as the platform looks toward its future. What better way to begin this next chapter than by looking at the very fabric of the global network that connects us all: the entire internet?
The Internet, and Top-Level Domains
To understand where the community is heading, it helps to examine where the digital world began. Most people already know that the internet is, fundamentally, a network. By definition, a network is simply a group of connections working in tandem. In fact, the term "internet" is a portmanteau derived from "interconnected" and "network."
Historically, the internet began as a network of interconnected networks, originating primarily from two foundational pillars: a military network and an academic network. As the technology matured and gained popularity outside of those two initial groups, it quickly became apparent that different designations were necessary to keep things organized. Society needed a way to easily differentiate, for example, a commercial entity from a charitable organization, a university from a governmental department, or an individual hobbyist from a major public institution.
These structural designations are known as top-level domains, commonly referred to as TLDs. Today, internet users can choose from a vast and diverse ecosystem of available domain extensions. However, for a very long time, there were only a handful of options guiding traffic across the web. Those original top-level domains remain remarkably popular and culturally embedded in how we navigate digital spaces today. Most internet users instinctively know that when they visit an address ending in .com, they are exploring a commercial site, whereas a visit to a .org address typically points toward a non-profit organization dedicated to a public mission. These foundational suffixes helped establish order and trust in the early days of the web, giving users immediate context about the entities behind the screens.
Open Source Is a Network
Just as the internet relies on a web of connections to function, open source can be many things, but at its core, it is also a network. Open source software and culture can take on countless forms. It can be commercial, driving enterprise business models and global technological infrastructure. It can be non-profit, supporting public goods and humanitarian initiatives. It can be academic, fostering foundational research and the next generation of computer scientists. It can even be cultural, shaping how creators share art, media, and knowledge.
No matter what form open source takes, and regardless of the specific domain it occupies, it is always a network. Sometimes—though certainly not always—that network consists of physical computers, servers, and data centers communicating across continents. But most importantly, and most powerfully, it is a network of people.
Whether people are gathering in person at a massive international technology conference, catching up informally at a local pub, or collaborating asynchronously in a real-time online chat room, the open source movement is, above all else, a community of human beings. It is driven by shared values, collaborative problem-solving, and a collective desire to build tools that anyone can inspect, modify, and improve.
For the past twelve years, the website Opensource.com has been supported by a commercial entity, providing a steady platform for stories, ideas, and community voices. Yet, the individuals—representing readers, contributors, advocates, and creators—who truly make up the Opensource.com community are not commercial entities. They are simply people. They are human beings passionate about sharing knowledge, creating sustainable solutions, and promoting open-source principles across every facet of modern life.
Now, as a new era approaches, change is on the horizon. In just one month, Opensource.com is going to resolve that long-standing bug and take its next major step forward. Stay tuned for more announcements as the community’s latest project comes to light.
Opensource.com has long published stories about creating, adopting, and sharing open source solutions, chronicling how collaborative technology impacts the world. Readers and supporters can continue to follow updates and community developments online, as the platform prepares to turn the page on this exciting new chapter.
